Arsenal and Manchester City target Asmir Begovic set to stick with Stoke

It looks like sought-after Stoke goalkeeper Asmir Begovic will be staying put, despite attracting the interest of the Premier League big boys.

Arsenal and Manchester City have both been linked with the 26-year-old stopper, but appear to have little chance of luring him away from the Britannia during next month’s window.

Apparently unfazed by the rumours, the big Bosnia stopper, signed from Portsmouth for £3.25million in 2010, expects to be at Stoke when the World Cup kicks off in six months’ time.

‘I don’t pay much attention to it [the speculation],’ Begovic said. ‘I take it as a huge compliment if people are saying nice things but there’s a pressure to keep performing so I have to concentrate on my job each and every day.’

Suggesting he sees his future with the Potters, he added: ‘Everyone wants to play at the highest level as possible. I’m no different. That’s right through the club. Everyone is pretty ambitious, the chairman, the players, and I think we can all achieve great things here in the future.

‘I’m very much looking forward to the World Cup but let’s see what happens.